Safety

Fontana, CA – An investigation of an industrial accident took place on June 14, 2016 concerning an employee who on June 13, 2016 sustained serious injuries after falling to the ground through an unguarded skylight while engaged in solar panel installation. The employee was not protected by use of guardrails, personal fall protection system, cover, screens, nets or any other methods

Cal/OSHA issued five citations to an electric contractor after a 29-year-old solar panel installer fell 29 feet through a skylight, suffering extremely serious injuries. The citations included a willful serious violation of Section 3212 Floor Openings, Floor Holes, Skylights and Roofs which requires employers use fall protections systems to keep employees safe. In this case, the employer did not provide the protection even though the company charged the building owner for it.There was no evidence of fall protection such as guardrails, personal fall protection system, covers, screens, nets or any other methods anywhere in the building, despite the presence of more than 140 skylights on the roof.

All employers in the State of California who are cited by Cal/OSHA are entitled to an appeal of the citations.

We have extensive experience in the investigation and analysis, including court testimony, concerning falls through skylights.

Rialto, CA – Cal/OSHA Reporting ID: 0950633 stated that on or about May 25, 2018, an Electric Crew Foremen became incapacitated when he contacted energized parts of a 6.9kV transformer causing the employee serious injuries.

The Employer was cited, among others, for failing to ensure that a supervisory employee (Electric Crew Foreman) utilized protective coverings or devices, adequate barriers, or isolation methods while working on exposed underground cables, concentric ground wires, or conductors, including but not limited to, equipment or parts of an energized transformer located within a BURD structure having a working space of less than 36 inches. As a result, an employee while attempting to remove an old ground wire came in contact with an energized section of the transformer with an operating voltage of 6.9kV causing the employee serious injuries.

The citation continues to state that prior to, and during the course of the investigation, including but not limited to May 25, 2018, the Employer failed to ensure that a supervisory Employee (Electric Crew Foreman) utilized hazardous energy control procedures or personnel change to ensure the continuity of lockout or tag-out protection, including but not limited to provisions for the orderly transfer of lockout or tag-out device protection between off-going and on-coming Employees, to minimize their exposure to energized parts of a 6.9kV transformer located in a BURD structure.

It is alleged that the Employer failed to ensure that a supervisory employee (Electric Crew Foreman) eliminated all possible sources of back-feed voltages on a 6.9kV transformer (being back-fed by a generator), by effectively disconnecting or grounding the high voltage side, or disconnecting or short circuiting the low voltage side.

Last, the citation alleges that Employer’s Field Supervisor, and an Operations Supervisor failed to immediately call 911 to ensure prompt medical treatment, resulting in unnecessary delay in treatment to an employee who sustained a serious injury.

In all Cal/OSHA cases the Employer is entitled to an appeal of the citation.

Often the general public and some professionals consider trench accidents to only happen on commercial projects. On December 11, 2018 the State of California Department of Industrial Relations published a News Release No.: 2018-100 that concerned a trench accident at a residential project.

Santa Ana—Cal/OSHA has cited a Riverside construction company $66,000 for serious workplace safety violations that resulted in the death of a worker when a 17-foot-deep trench he was in collapsed. Cal/OSHA determined that the construction company did not properly classify the soil and failed to correctly slope the excavation.

On May 9, two Services workers were installing sewer pipes at a Lake Forest residential construction site when a 30-foot-wide section of the trench’s sidewall sloughed and collapsed. Only one of the workers was able to escape.

Cal/OSHA’s investigation found that the company failed to ensure the site was inspected by someone who was deemed competent by the employer and familiar with trench hazards, soil classification and the appropriate safety requirements. The soil at the worksite was unstable, requiring an adequate protective system.

“Because working in excavations is so dangerous, a competent person must conduct thorough visual and manual tests to properly classify the soil and adequately protect employees from cave-ins,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum. “Failing to carry out these requirements can be fatal.”

On October 30, 2018 the State of California Department of Industrial Relations published News Release No.:2018-88

Santa Ana—Cal/OSHA has issued citations for willful violations of nail gun safety regulations after a carpenter was seriously injured at a residential construction site. An investigation found that the employer failed to train and instruct employees on the proper use of pressure-powered nailing tools.

On April 17, a carpenter was using an air pressure-powered nail gun to frame wood at a construction site in Lake Forest. The worker was carrying the nail gun in his right hand with his finger on the trigger when a nail was unintentionally discharged into his left arm. Cal/OSHA’s investigation found that the employees did not receive hands-on training for operating nailing tools safely and that the Rancho Santa Margarita-based employer did not ensure workers carry nail guns only by the handle and not with their finger on the trigger.

Cal/OSHA issued two willful-serious accident-related citations with a total of $225,500 in proposed penalties for failure to train workers on nail guns and failure to ensure safe operation of these tools. Cal/OSHA’s review of the employer’s injury log showed 34 instances of nail gun injuries suffered by employees since 2016.

“Employers must effectively train workers to safely operate dangerous tools such as nail guns,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum. “The employer knew these tools are hazardous and did not take the necessary measures to protect their workers from injury.”

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With over 47 years of experience in the construction, insurance, and safety industries, our senior licensed and certified expert Gidon R. Vardi, Ph.D and his available team of experts are here to provide investigation and expert witness services in the fields of personal injury, safety, and accident reconstruction.